It happened in the area of Lakeland Street and Truman Street around 10 p.m.

A department spokesperson said Officer J.T. West was sitting in his marked patrol car working on a report when he saw two suspicious men coming up from behind his car near an abandoned apartment building.

West got out of his car to speak to the men, but before he could say a word, one of them pulled a handgun from his waistband and fired six shots at the officer. One of the bullets struck the police vehicle.

West returned fire, getting off two shots as he ran for cover across the street.

Next year, Sen. Rand Paul will reintroduce a bill that goes after the federal programs that send military-grade equipment to local police departments, staff for the Kentucky Republican told BuzzFeed News.

Paul’s decision to keep bill, which was crafted by the retiring Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn, alive will be a significant test for the political viability of the issue. Paul will be trying to force a Republican-controlled Senate to examine federal programs that funnel millions in grant money and surplus to arm local police forces with weapons and vehicles designed for the battlefield.

Cheapshot “I support Torture” bob, will you attributing each and every instance of guns being fired at police as now a political protest against cops killing black males? Is this above and beyond the statistical average amount of shots fired at police?

LAPD Detective Megan Aguilar told CNN that investigators have “nothing to indicate that there’s a nexus” between the shooting and recent nationwide protests against police brutality that have fueled animosity toward police.

Note also that there’s nothing to indicate that there isn’t a relationship.

What do you think is the most likely answer to your questions, Better?

Boob any statistics on whether this violence (shots at police) was non existent prior to the protests ever happening. Maybe you just never cared to know about it. If this is all just routine on what happens in the day and life of bring a cop, then what’s your stupid point?

@15 Really? You actually think anyone could have prevented an ex-felon with a grudge against cops and easy access to guns from walking up to two randomly selected cops sitting in a squad car and shooting them without warning? His mother, maybe, by having a timely abortion; but you Repubs are against that, too, just as you’re against gun control.

“As long as you’re sure why that’s occurring, go ahead and make the allegation.”

That’s what the article says:

Police sources said Monday that safety concerns were the main reason for the dropoff in police activity, but added that some cops were mounting an undeclared slowdown in protest of de Blasio’s response to the non-indictment in the police chokehold death of Eric Garner.

Did you not bother to read it before commenting on it? Wouldn’t surprise me. Speaking from ignorance seems to be your stock-in-trade.

That part about safety concerns…. Did it come from Bratton? From the desk sergeants? Captains? Or possibly from the mayor’s office? De Blasio wanted to defer protests until after the memorial services. Why might he not also suggest that police let the small stuff go until things settle down?

“Police sources” isn’t specific. Where did those sources get their orders?

I fully understand that it could be a work slow-down such as unions are famous for conducting when they think it is to their advantage, Don Joe. I’m just not convinced that’s the only reason.

Umm (scratching head) … because they don’t want to take orders from their new boss?

“In a tweet Monday night that appears to have since been deleted, CBS New York reports the NYC Sergeants Benevolent Association said the mayor “needs to humble himself and change his philosophical views on policing and the way protests have occurred within the city.”

‘“Police sources” isn’t specific. Where did those sources get their orders?’

From the article:

Angry union leaders have ordered drastic measures for their members

‘I’m just not convinced that’s the only reason.’

So, the reason that the union leaders have ordered the slowdown somehow makes a difference as to whether or not the slowdown constitutes insubordination?

Keep in mind, now, that we’re talking about the police refusing to obey democratically-elected civil authority. Police, not air-traffic controllers. How much further does this have to go before the thin blue line becomes a thick Gestapo line?

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